


Open Doors

by Jena Bartley (jenab)



Category: Airwolf
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-18
Updated: 2010-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-13 18:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/140428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenab/pseuds/Jena%20Bartley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An undercover mission leads some interesting revelations for Archangel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Doors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [debirlfan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/debirlfan/gifts).



> Thank you to Carbonel for the beta.

Michael strode down the hall of the Guantanamo Bay naval hospital, leg twinging enough to let him know he’d put too much strain on it in the past week. He ignored it, leaning a little more heavily on his cane. Helen, his newest assistant trailed behind him.

One thing he’d noticed – regardless of what country you were in, military hospitals were all alike. Drab decor and dull green paint on the walls. Almost no attempt was made to make them look better, especially not for the patients.

At the best of times, Michael could tolerate them. At the worst he hated them. Too much time spent as a patient had left a distaste of them. Too many bad memories including the loss of his eye and the crippling of his leg.

Stopping in front of one of the private rooms, Michael looked inside, finding Stringfellow Hawke awake and sitting up. Santini and Caitlin hovered over him, Dom’s hands waving energetically as he talked, no doubt telling the story of how Caitlin and Michael had rescued them from a Cuban prison.

Michael’s eyes lingered on Caitlin, seeing the concern in her eyes for Hawke and the way she sat on the edge of the bed, her thigh brushing Hawke’s leg. He noticed the curve of her lips as she smiled and the way she brushed her red hair back from her face.

For a moment, he could almost feel the silky strands of her hair against his fingers as he breathed in the subtle scent of her perfume. Taking a deep breath, he shook off the memories and pushed the door open. All three residents look up at him.

“It’s good to see you up and awake,” Michael said. He rested his weight on the cane, trying to ease his weight from his weak leg. “You had us worried there for a while, Hawke.”

“Yeah.” Hawke only nodded, but Michael could see what else the other man was not saying.

Hawke was normally taciturn so Michael had learned out to read his body language and eyes over the years of working with him. Right now, Hawke looked like hell, hooked up to monitors. His face was pale and drawn, eyes showing the pain he was in despite the painkillers he’d been given. He lost weight during his ordeal, and looked gaunt. Bruises and cuts showed on what skin wasn’t covered by his hospital gown and sheets with several of his fingers broken and in splints. From the doctor’s report and what Michael had seen when they’d pulled him out of that cell, the torture had left much deeper marks on Hawke’s body currently hidden by the bed sheet and his hospital gown. He also knew Hawke would turn down all offers of to see a shrink, preferring to tough it out as he had always done.

“He looks like hell now, but just wait till we get him back home. His own bed , Cait and I looking after him and String will be back to normal soon.” Dom boasted, laying a hand on Hawke’s shoulder.

Hawke’s smile was wan, hand trembling slightly as he gripped Dom’s hand hard for a moment. Michael didn’t doubt Hawke would be on his feet as soon as he felt ready, regardless of any doctor’s orders to rest more. The man was far too stubborn for his own good at times.

“I have to head back to the States today.” Michael said. “The Firm wants an immediate debriefing on what happened to you in Cuba. Airwolf has been secured and placed under guard by my own people here on the base. When you’re ready, Helen will take care of any arrangements to get the three of you back to stateside.”

He turned to go.

“Michael, wait.”

Caitlin’s voice had him hesitating for a brief moment. Long enough for Caitlin to join him outside of Hawke’s room.

He didn’t stop, not yet willing to face her alone. Caitlin kept stride with him. “We need to talk, Michael. About what happened on the mission.”

“No we don’t. We did what was necessary to find and free Hawke and Dominic.” Michael picked up his pace a little, flinching as pain shot through his bad leg.

That didn’t deter her. She only got in front of him, forcing him to stop and actually look at her.

“It wasn’t just about getting String and Dom free back there, Michael. There was something else there between us. It wasn’t all an act.”

Michael wanted to deny it but couldn’t with the way Caitlin was looking at him, almost daring him. “Situations like this one, the way we had to be, can lead to really intense feelings. When you’ve gained some distance from this, you’ll realize that.”

“You think that was all a fluke, especially from me?” Caitlin’s hands came up to rest on her hips, a sure sign she was angry. “What I felt was real, Michael. What happened between us was also real.”

Michael couldn’t help reaching out to cup her cheek. “I’ve been here before, Cait. Give it some time and you’ll realize what I mean.”

He turned to go. Caitlin huffed, but thankfully stopped following him. Knowing her, he’d only been given a temporary reprieve. He hoped it would be long enough to deal with what had happened between them.

Back in the States, he kept himself busy with questions and debriefings from the Committee and the pile of messages on his desk from the time he was away. It was enough to keep him from dwelling.

At least, it was enough until Helen appeared in his office, dressed in her usual uniform of all white clothing, signifying she was one of his employees and holding a sheaf of files.

“Ms O’Shaunessy would like to talk to you.” Helen said, passing several messages to him. “These are all from her. According to the doctors Mr. Hawke is healing well and there will be no permanent injury.”

Michael nodded, taking the files and notes from her. He stared at Caitlin’s messages before balling them up and tossing them into the garbage.

He should have returned her calls at once, but he kept hoping she would let it go. However, after knowing her for almost four years, Michael knew better than to avoid Caitlin. Stubbornness, and persistence were ingrained in her alongside her refusal to take no for an answer. He’d seen her wear down both Hawke and Dominic to the point they trained her to fly Airwolf and accompany them on their missions with the Firm.

The combination of Irish heritage and Texan upbringing had formed one hell of a stubborn woman beneath her girl-next-door looks. Michael had been surprised several times since he’d known her, but by now he should have known better.

The latest surprise was realizing just how deeply he cared for her. And how much he enjoyed pretending to be her husband on their mission. He knew Caitlin cared for him and she had been so warm and welcoming when they had made love. But how much of that was her playing her part and what she really felt for him?

Then there was Hawke. Michael knew at one time Caitlin had wanted something more with the other man. Did she still want that? Would she chose Hawke over him should Hawke ever say something? Michael had seen the way Hawke sometimes looked at her.

Caitlin kept leaving messages and Michael kept ignoring them. All the while, he knew he was only postponing the inevitable. It didn’t help that he kept going over their mission together, reliving and even dreaming of it.

The denial and avoidance lasted for another two weeks. Right up until the day he headed for the helipad to discover his regular pilot had been replaced by Caitlin. She was dressed all in white, just like one of his female employees. White shirt and pants that hugged her hips, her red hair and sun kissed skin vibrant against the neutral colour. She looked good.

The look in her eyes dared him to say something but Michael only sighed, getting inside the helicopter.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Caitlin said, once they were in the air. She glanced over at him before returning her attention to the front. Her hands were steady on the controls, the helicopter flying true under her care.

Michael stared at her hands, - they looked fragile, but he knew that was an illusion. He’d seen the way she handled a gun or flew Airwolf, calm and determined under pressure. He remembered the way she’d touched him, her mouth warm and wet under his. He missed waking up with her curled against him.

“Trying to.” Michael admitted. “But you’re a hard woman to ignore.”

That got him a bright smile.

“Tell you what. After I’m done with this meeting, you can fly us to this little restaurant down the coast. We’ll have lunch and talk.”

“All right.” Caitlin nodded, her smile warming him up.

Three hours later, they were sitting down on the patio with a bottle of red wine and their orders already taken by the waiter. A cool breeze from the ocean ruffled Caitlin’s hair. Michael itched to tangle his fingers in it.

“So,” Caitlin said. “It’s been several weeks and my feelings haven’t changed.” She grinned at him.

Michael almost choked on his wine. “You certainly like to get to the point, don’t you?”

“After four years, you should know that about me.”

“Yeah.” He toyed with the stem of his glass. “Here’s the thing. You’re right that I’ve been avoiding you. And its not just because I wanted to give you time to deal with what happened.”

“What happened is we pretended to be married, looking for information on who had kidnapped Dom and Hawke. We ended up having to keep our cover real by making love.” Caitlin leaned forward, her eyes locked onto his. Michael couldn’t look away. “I enjoyed it and I think you did as well. There’s something there between us, Michael. Something that has growing for a while now.

She reached across the table to rest her hand on his. Michael glanced down before meeting her gaze again.

“What about Hawke?”

“What about him?”

“I know you care for him. I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

Caitlin sat back, taking her hand with her. She took her time answering his question.

“I love Hawke, but I’m not in love with him. Not anymore. That changed sometime ago.”

“And Hawke? I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Cait.”

Caitlin smiled softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I know Hawke cares for me. I don’t know if he’s in love with me but even if he were, nothing is going to happen. Hawke is too afraid to take that next step. It’s taken him quite a-while to let me in as far as he has. I know I’m part of his family now and that is as far he will go.

“And if he changes his mind?” Michael took a sip of wine.

“It will be too late for him.” Caitlin reached out again, her palm resting on the table next to his.

“You’re neither a second choice nor a consolation prize, Michael. Even if Hawke said he were interested, I want to be with you. You can be secretive and exasperating at times but you’re also very loyal to your people. You’ll do almost anything to care for them.”

Michael wanted to believe that. He needed to know this was as real for Caitlin as it was for him.

“How about we take this slowly?” Caitlin said. “That would give us both the chance to find out just what this thing is between us?”

“I’d like that.” Michael replied. He reached out to thread his fingers through hers, squeezing them lightly.

She squeezed back as she smiled, her face open and happy. “Good. Pick me up at Santini Air tomorrow at seven pm. That way you also get through the Hawke and Dom grilling about just what you want from me.”

He laughed, knowing just how protective the two men were. He’d watched them drop their missions at the news Caitlin was in trouble. Michael had even been the brunt of Hawke’s anger when Caitlin had been put in danger on one of Michael’s missions.

Sure enough, next day both men eyed him warily, questioning him about his intentions towards Caitlin. Hawke even pulled him aside, threatening him as to just what would happened if Michael hurt Caitlin in any way. Dom did the same, going into more graphic detail than Hawke about the consequences of breaking Caitlin’s heart.

Then Caitlin was there, laughing at them both and looking beautiful. She linked her arm through Michael’s as she waved good night to Santini and Hawke.

Michael caught the look of regret in Hawke’s eyes as they left, Caitlin warm against Michael’s side. Hawke only smiled and nodded at Michael. Michael returned the nod, silently promising to both of them he would love Caitlin the way she deserved to be loved.


End file.
